Top UK independent school has made learning Mandarin Chinese compulsory.

As so many of the boarders at Roedean now are Chinese, non-Chinese girls are being required to learn Mandarin Chinese from the age of 9. As the influence of China grows learning this language should help greater social understanding across the cultures.

Should Mandarin Chinese be taught at Elementary Schools asks the Wall Street Journal?

The overall answer seems yes -especially if you read the comments section. Yes because it is co-taught with culture, yes because what makes it difficult for an adult makes it easy for a child and the differences cultural and linguistic improve the child's likely level of interaction with China in the future and their understanding of how their own languages and other languages e.g. Spanish work

A Telegraph journalist wonders about the benefits and disadvantages of his children learning to live in China

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/7947932/Expat-life-Have-children-will-...

Follow the link to decide whether you agree with the journalits point of view.

Change is in the air for Chinese language tests and exams in Singapore's schools

to cater to a growing group of students from predominantly English-speaking homes.

In this article how best to teach Chinese to children is debated. Is dual immersion the answer? And how to you adapt your instructional strategy /pedagogy as children get older?

Politicians Ed Balls and David Laws debate introduction of compulsory language lessons for 7-11 (KS2)....

Ministers have already announced the introduction of compulsory language lessons for seven- to 11-year-olds in 2011 to stimulate interest in the subject from a young age.

A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said: "Introducing compulsory languages teaching in primary schools will instil a love of language learning in young children and help to encourage them to continue studying it as they move up through school and beyond.

In line with Bamboo's development of a Scheme of Work in Mandarin Chinese for KS2..

Ed Balls will announce that pupils aged seven onwards will be able to learn languages including Mandarin and Arabic to meet the challenges of a globalised world. Officials cited CBI surveys showing that 52% of employers looking for language skills now want people with French, 43% with German and 38% with Mandarin/Cantonese. They said Labour was keen to prepare the next generation of workers for the new global economy.

Balls said yesterday: "In this new decade, our ties with emerging economies like China will become even more important and it's vital that young people are equipped with the skills they need. That's why we want all secondary pupils to have the opportunity to learn Mandarin if they choose, either at their own school or a nearby school or college."

USA based 2009 teaching conference reveals...

how Chinese is becoming mainstream in schools. School visits to Chicago schools, music, ealy language learning workshops, supply of Chinese teachers - it was all covered and more. Use the link to find out more.

Mandarin Chinese grows in Primary schools

Mandarin lessons

PUPILS at a Caversham school are learning Mandarin after school.

Teacher Anna Zhenping Yu Hurst was invited to teach the classes at Micklands Primary School after returning from a family trip to her home province of Quzhou in October.

Mrs Zhenping Yu Hurst, whose son Oliver, eight, attends Micklands, took photographs to show pupils.

Her classes cover basic language and expressions, Mandarin characters and traditional Chinese songs and stories.

Mrs Zhenping Yu Hurst, who lives in Reading, said: “The children are very keen to learn about Chinese culture. I am teaching eight classes to start with and this may be extended if the level of interest continues.”

Praise for pre-school Chinese programme one year on, but the non-interactive approach is questioned.

Animation Insider worries about the pedagogy of Ni Hao Kai Lan. January 26 2009

Although Ni Hao, Kai-lan still has a tendency to feature characters who speak fluently in Chinese yet whose dialogue remains entirely untranslated, but only on occasion, the terminology that is translated ties well into the episode's central story. At first I thought this balance was a breakthrough in preschool television, refusing to baby its viewers and allowing them connect the dots on their own; but I'm starting to wonder if there's a limit to what you can offer a viewer to take in on his own, before he simply shuts out any information he deems as partially incomprehensible. Ni Hao, Kai-lan does a good job in blending the everyday with the multicultural, but the series frequently puts itself at risk of being too good for itself. The risk isn't always necessary, but when it is, children's television is usually better off for it.

The importance of cultural connections and learning to learn ....

This article writes about bi-lingual preschools. It emphasises the advantages of learning a second language young including Mandarin Chinese. It talks about making cultural connections between languages and how learning a second language improves general literacy and awareness of how communication works.

January 3 2009